Rolling shutter is the bane of DSLR filmmaking and digital film in general. Both rolling shutter and moiré can take great footage and turn it into trash. I think nowhere is rolling shutter worse than in video of aircraft propellors. A favorite tool of folks in aviation photography is of course the GoPro camera because of its small form factor and relative small expense should something go wrong (like falling out of the airplane). What does go dreadfully wrong with almost all GoPro aircraft footage is rolling shutter.

Something I didn’t know about GoPro cameras is that they have a fixed aperture and adjust exposure via shutter speed. For many shots that works fine, but for work with aircraft the results are simply hideous. Now we are lucky broadcast veteran and pilot Phil Boyer has solved this problem with his adaptation of neutral density filters to the GoPro camera. This excellent how-to video shows you just how to install neutral density filters on the GoPro camera, along with sample before and after footage. Note also his use of an external monitor to preview his footage. This is just the type of solution I look for: inexpensive. Don’t we spend enough for this gear already? Parts for project:

PLEASE NOTE: The solution here works ONLY for the original Hero. The new HD Hero2 is not compatible as the WIDE setting shows the edge of the adapter ring. When a new solution for the HDH2 becomes available we will update this post.

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Brilliant! Thank you for sharing this! This perfectly explains a nagging issue I just couldn’t put my finger on with this camera. The picture falls apart depending on the content, but variable shutter speed explains alot of that away.
My friend has a larger RC helicopter and we’ve been trying to build a mount for hoisting the camera (first test run was tonight) and I feel like the really stuttery motion isn’t how it’s intended to look. I want to try this technique of yours and see if the slower shutter will also help reduce the terrible rolling shutter effects we’re seeing.

Great tutorial and very nicely made. Thank you. By the way do you know where to find the 25.5-46mm Step Up Filter? B&H does not sell it anymore and I’ve searched the web without success.
Thanks in advance.

Searching Photofilter’s web site I found the direct link: http://www.photofilter.com/Step_up.htm#1525 Maybe you can update your link above for other visitors like me. Thanks again for taking the time in making such high quality tutos.